Board of trustee elections funding

We provide funding to schools for running school trustee triennial, mid-term and by-elections. A formula determines how much funding each school is entitled to. Funding for triennial and mid-term elections is paid in the operational grant instalment. For by-election funding, schools need to claim from us directly.

Returning officers fees

This fee is paid by the board to the returning officer from the funding available.

Before the election begins the board of trustees and returning officer must agree on the fee that the returning officer will receive. The board and any clerical staff involved in the election process must also agree fees in advance.

Returning officer’s fee formula

There is a generally accepted formula to calculate the returning officer’s fee, but boards of trustees don’t have to use it. The formula is:

50% of the election grant base amount, plus

25% of the per pupil amount.

Triennial Elections payments

We pay schools directly through their Operations Grant instalments as follows:

Mid-Term Elections payments

We pay schools that have opted into the mid-term (staggered) election cycle through their Operations Grant instalments. The payment timeframes for mid-term elections will be confirmed in 2020.

By-elections

Schools can claim a limited refund of actual and reasonable expenses for holding by-elections. Where a staff representative is elected, the Board can claim up to $96. Where a parent by-election is held, the reimbursement is limited by the funding formula.

Contact us at resourcing if you have a question about reasonable expenditure:

Claiming for by-election reimbursement

Attach all receipts and evidence of expenditure, including returning officer fees, to the claim form. The Ministry can only refund expenses where evidence is provided. These attachments are necessary whether or not a vote was held. Invoices are not acceptable as evidence of expenditure.

Send the completed application and supporting information to the Ministry. Either scan and send it to resourcing@education.govt.nz or post it to: